Ceiling fan blade attachment mechanism

ABSTRACT

The invention relates generally to fans, and in particular to ceiling fans. The invention further relates to a ceiling fan blade attachment mechanism.

PRIOR RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 29/210,406, filed Jul. 30, 2004, and a continuation-in part of application Ser. No. 29/210,460 filed Jul. 30, 2004, and a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 29/210,407 filed Jul. 30, 2004, and a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 29/210,394 filed Jul. 30, 2004, and a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 29/210,409 filed Jul. 30, 2004 and a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 29/210,391 filed Jul. 30, 2004.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH STATEMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to fans, and in particular to ceiling fans. The invention further relates to a ceiling fan blade attachment mechanism.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A typical ceiling fan includes a down rod assembly suspended from the ceiling with a motor shaft which is connected to a lower portion of the down rod assembly. A motor body rotates about the motor shaft. A motor housing which surrounds the motor may be secured to either the motor shaft or the down rod assembly, which remain stationary. Blade mounting arms, also referred to as blade irons, are connected to the motor body and extend out of an opening of the motor housing or below the motor housing. A hub is attached to the motor shaft below the fan blades and blade irons.

A conventional ceiling fan blade typically consists of a solid unitary member of wood, metal or plastic, or a frame with a covering made of nylon or some other suitable material. In both cases, however, the blade is usually attached to the fan motor by means of a standardized mounting structure commonly referred to as the blade iron. The prior art provides numerous examples of fan blades that are attached to the fan motor with the aid of a blade iron. In a typical ceiling fan, the fan blade must first be attached to the blade iron, which in turn must be attached to the motor housing.

Conventional blade irons used in the art tend to be discrete structures that are separable from the fan blades and the fan housing. Typically, conventional blade irons are connected to their respective fan blades via their distal ends and are connected to the fan motor or motor housing via their proximal ends. Conventional blade irons are often decorative in nature and are used primarily to enhance the overall appearance of the ceiling fan rather than in a utilitarian role. In other words, conventional blade irons are not always critical to the operational ability of ceiling fans.

The use of a conventional blade iron to attach a fan blade to a fan motor can add to the cost of the fan's manufacture and make it more expensive for purchase by a consumer. In addition, the presence of a blade iron can add to the weight of a fan, and thereby make it less efficient from an energy consumption stand point. Additionally, it is a common commercial practice for ceiling fans to be shipped to the end user in an unassembled state. Therefore, a ceiling fan requires assembly prior to installation. This often challenging task can be made easier if the ceiling fan blades are capable of being easily connected to the rest of the ceiling fan unit. Furthermore, there are a variety of reasons for removing fan blades from the motor housing, for e.g., when the fan motor is in need of maintenance or repair, and when the motor housing and fan blades must be cleaned.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a ceiling fan blade attachment mechanism where the ceiling fan blades are capable of being connected to a fan motor by a mechanism that is easy and convenient to the consumer. It would also be desirable to have a ceiling fan blade attachment mechanism that provides an easy and convenient way to assemble and dissemble fan blades from the motor housing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the invention provides a ceiling fan suspended by a down rod, the fan comprising a motor housing that rotates relative to the down rod, a plurality of fan blades, wherein each fan blade comprises a first attachment member, a second attachment member that is connected to the motor housing, wherein the second attachment member comprises a sleeve that is capable of receiving the first attachment member, and a mechanism for securing the first attachment member in the sleeve of the second attachment member.

Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a fan comprising a motor having a motor shaft and a motor body that rotates relative to the motor shaft, a motor housing rotatable with and connected to the motor body, an attachment member connected to the motor housing, wherein the attachment member comprises a slot, into which a fan blade is inserted and secured using an attachment mechanism.

An aspect of the invention is directed to a method of installing a fan blade, the method comprising aligning the fan blade with a sleeve in an attachment member, wherein the attachment member is connected to a motor housing, inserting the fan blade into the sleeve, and positioning the fan blade in the sleeve to allow an attachment mechanism to secure the fan blade in the sleeve when the fan blade is properly positioned in the sleeve.

Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a ceiling fan comprising a motor having a motor shaft and a motor housing that rotates relative to the motor shaft, the motor housing comprising a plurality of attachment members, and a plurality of fan blades, each blade secured to the motor housing via an attachment mechanism, wherein the attachment mechanism connects to one of the plurality of attachment members.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, exemplify the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view from below of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged elevation view and partial cross-section view of the embodiment of the invention in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the embodiment of the invention in FIG. 1 illustrating the mechanism connecting the ceiling fan blade to the ceiling fan motor housing.

FIG. 4 shows an elevation view of the embodiment of the invention in FIG. 3 illustrating the mechanism connecting the ceiling fan blade to the ceiling fan motor housing.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, the ceiling fan 10 is connected to a down rod assembly 14 that is suspended from the ceiling via a ceiling mount 12. A housing cap 15 is stationary and is typically connected to the down rod 14. A motor housing 16 is connected to the down rod 14 via the housing cap 15 and rotates relative to the down rod 14 when the ceiling fan 10 is in operation. The ceiling fan 10 includes one or more fan blades. For convenience, a plurality of fan blades will be designated by reference numbers 18 a and 18 b. The plurality of fan blades 18 a and 18 b each comprise a first attachment member 20 that facilitates the attachment of the fan blades to the motor housing 16. In certain embodiments of the invention, the first attachment member 20 is contiguous with, i.e, not separable from the rest of the fan blade structure. The attachment of the fan blades 18 a and 18 b to the motor housing 16 is also facilitated by a second attachment member 22 that is connected to the motor housing 16. In certain embodiments of the invention, the plurality of fan blades 18 a and 18 b may be secured to the motor housing 16 by additional or alternative mechanisms.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the second attachment member 22 is connected to the motor housing 16 via a first attachment mechanism 26. In certain embodiments of the invention, the first attachment mechanism comprises a screw 26, where the screw connects the member 22 to the housing 16 as shown in FIG. 2. The first attachment member 20 is connected to the second attachment member 22 via a second attachment mechanism. In certain embodiments of the invention, the second attachment mechanism comprises one or more screws, 24 a and 24 b that are used to attach the first attachment member 20 and the fan blades, 18 a and 18 b, to the second attachment member 22 as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 shows a detailed top plan view of the attachment mechanisms that connect the fan blades to the motor housing. The first attachment member 20 is connected to the second attachment member 22 using an attachment mechanism that comprises two screws 24 a and 24 b. The screws 24 a and 24 b are inserted through the second attachment member 22 via apertures provided in the second attachment member (see FIG. 4). After being inserted through the attachment member 22, the screws 24 a and 24 b are inserted through apertures in the first attachment member 20 to connect the first attachment member 20 to the second attachment member 22. The second attachment member 22 is further attached to the fan motor housing via an attachment mechanism that comprises a screw 26.

FIG. 4 shows an elevation view of the attachment mechanisms that connect the fan blades to the motor housing. The first attachment member 20 is connected to the second attachment member 22 using an attachment mechanism that comprises two screws 24 a and 24 b. An inner wall 25 is located within the second attachment member 22. The inner wall 25 stops the progress of the first attachment member 20 when the first attachment member is inserted into the second attachment member 22. By stopping the progress of the first attachment member 20, the inner wall 25 allows the first attachment member 20 to be positioned properly within the second attachment member 22 such that the screws 24 a and 24 b can be inserted through the apertures in the second attachment member 22 and through the apertures in the first attachment member 20 (see FIG. 3) to connect the first attachment member 20 to the second attachment member 22. The second attachment member 22 is further attached to the fan motor housing via an attachment mechanism that comprises a screw 26.

An embodiment of the invention is directed to a ceiling fan suspended by a down rod 14, the fan comprising a motor housing 16 that rotates relative to the down rod, a plurality of fan blades 18 a and 18 b, wherein each fan blade comprises a first attachment member 20, a second attachment member 22 that is connected to the motor housing 16, wherein the second attachment member comprises a sleeve that is capable of receiving the first attachment member 20, and an attachment mechanism for securing the first attachment member in the sleeve of the second attachment member.

Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a fan comprising a motor having a motor shaft and a motor body that rotates relative to the motor shaft, a motor housing 16 rotatable with and connected to the motor body, an attachment member 22 connected to the motor housing, wherein the attachment member comprises a slot, a fan blade 18 a inserted into the slot and an attachment mechanism for securing the fan blade in the slot.

An aspect of the invention is directed to a method of installing a fan blade, the method comprising aligning the fan blade 18 a with a sleeve in an attachment member 22, wherein the attachment member is connected to a motor housing 16, inserting the fan blade into the sleeve, and positioning the fan blade in the sleeve to allow an attachment mechanism to secure the fan blade in the sleeve when the fan blade is properly positioned in the sleeve.

Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a ceiling fan comprising a motor having a motor shaft and a motor housing 16 that rotates relative to the motor shaft, the motor housing comprising a plurality of attachment members 22, and a plurality of fan blades 18 a and 18 b, each blade secured to the motor housing via an attachment mechanism 24 a and 24 b, wherein the attachment mechanism connects to one of the plurality of attachment members.

While the invention has been described with reference to one or more particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Each of these embodiments, and obvious variations thereof, is contemplated as falling within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention, which is set forth in the following claims. 

1. A ceiling fan suspended by a down rod, the fan comprising: a motor housing that rotates relative to the down rod; a fan blade, wherein the fan blade comprises a first attachment member; a second attachment member that is connected to the motor housing, wherein the second attachment member comprises a sleeve that is capable of receiving the first attachment member; and a mechanism for securing the first attachment member in the sleeve of the second attachment member.
 2. The fan of claim 1, wherein the sleeve comprises an inner wall that facilitates proper positioning of the second attachment member in the sleeve.
 3. The fan of claim 1, wherein the first attachment member is not separable from the fan blade.
 4. The fan of claim 1, wherein the mechanism for securing the first attachment member in the sleeve of the second attachment member comprises one or more screws.
 5. The fan of claim 4, wherein the one or more screws are inserted through apertures present in the first attachment member and second attachment member.
 6. The fan of claim 1, wherein the second attachment member is connected to the motor housing by one or more screws.
 7. A fan comprising: a motor having a motor shaft and a motor body that rotates relative to the motor shaft; a motor housing rotatable with and connected to the motor body; an attachment member connected to the motor housing, wherein the attachment member comprises a slot; a fan blade inserted into the slot; and a mechanism for securing the fan blade in the slot.
 8. The fan of claim 7, wherein the mechanism for securing the fan blade comprises one or more screws.
 9. The fan of claim 8, wherein the one or more screws are inserted through apertures present in the attachment member.
 10. A method of installing a fan blade, the method comprising: aligning the fan blade with a sleeve in an attachment member, wherein the attachment member is connected to a motor housing; inserting the fan blade into the sleeve; and positioning the fan blade in the sleeve to allow an attachment mechanism to secure the fan blade in the sleeve when the fan blade is properly positioned in the sleeve.
 11. The method of claim 19, comprising securing the fan blade to the motor housing.
 12. A ceiling fan comprising: a motor having a motor shaft and a motor housing that rotates relative to the motor shaft, the motor housing comprising a plurality of attachment members; and a plurality of fan blades, each blade secured to the motor housing via an attachment mechanism, wherein the attachment mechanism connects to one of the plurality of attachment members.
 13. The ceiling fan of claim 12, wherein the attachment mechanism comprises one or more screws. 